Brisbane’s business booms but experts warn CBDs may never return to pre-Covid heights

Experts have warned that Brisbane’s CBD may never return to its pre-Covid levels of activity now that a flexible work schedule has been more widely accepted.

FOR the first time since Covid hit in 2020 the Brisbane CBD is experiencing a resurgence as workers return to the office in droves filling public transport and eateries.

This quarter has already seen the average monthly number of public transport users surpass all recent data by about 2 million passengers.

In the three months from January to March and again from April to June this year, there was an average of 9.5m and 9.7m passengers travelling on state-run public transport a month.

But in the past two months of the third quarter of the year, there has already been a monthly average of 11.6m passengers who’ve been taking public transport throughout the south east region.

Trade in Brisbane city is up but is still sometime off returning to pre-Covid levels. Picture: Brendan Radke

More people also seem to be flocking back to city centre food courts according to Property Council Queensland executive director Jen Williams who said both transport and eateries around town are noticeably busier in the past few weeks.

“That being said, there is still a long way to go before we see office occupancy at a similar level to pre-Covid,” she said.

“But with warmer weather and a reduction in Covid cases activity does appear to be bouncing back.”

​But despite the good news, experts warn the heart of the city may never get back to its pre-Covid heights of activity.

According to Property Council’s findings, Fridays continue to be the slowest day of the week by a significant margin, with Ms Williams saying they were roughly half as busy as Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the city.

“There is a longer-term risk that this behaviour will become embedded as the long weekend becomes the new norm,” Ms Williams said.

“While flexibility is here to stay there is no escaping the fact that a sustained shift away from Friday will negatively impact businesses whose model is predicated on a bumper Friday trade.

“There is also the risk that the shift will have a flow on impact on workplace culture by curtailing social activities which typically take place at the end of the week.”

Property Council of Australia's QLD Executive Director Jen Williams. Picture: Tara Croser.

When it comes to that social aspect of being in the office Lois Penny, president of the Brisbane Junior Chamber of Commerce said younger workers are especially keen to get back in the office.

“Previously, there was talk about potential lockdowns and sending people home. Our cohort very much was opposed to that, they’re younger and they tend to be a bit more social and the office provides that environment,” she said.

Ms Penny said that although there was a general feeling that workplaces were getting busy again, there were still going to be setbacks going forward.

“I don’t think it will ever be back at pre-Covid levels just because there is that skill shortage, and workers do feel like they can transition jobs if they don’t have that flexibility that they want,” she said.

“I think going forward there won’t be constant Monday to Friday office workers. But there has been a pick up in workers getting back to the office, and I don’t think it will drop off from here.”